Printing Industry Commentary & Analysis

A Wealth of Activities and Programs at Upcoming PRINT 18

Published August 29, 2018

Julie Shaffer talks about the speakers and activities scheduled for PRINT 18 in Chicago, Sept. 30-Oct. 2.

Canadian Printing Shipments

Published August 24, 2018

Looking at the 12-month moving average of Canada’s printing shipments, it may look like Canada’s printing industry has been holding steady, but the inflation-adjusted figures show a slight decline from a recent peak at the end of 2013.

Around the Web: 3M Wraps Itself. Cool Caps. Trillions of Dollars. Fur-Ternity Leave. Tor Nada. This Week in Printing History.

Published August 24, 2018

3M wraps its own headquarters. UNITED CAPS develops bio-sourced plastics for its caps. How much paper would it take to print the Internet? Are library ebooks killing sales? All that and more in WhatTheyThink's weekly miscellany.

Brands Need to Get Personal

Published August 20, 2018

Doris Brown-McNally of HP Graphic Solutions, talks about the top three ways to engage millennials and Gen Zers with brands, from personalizing a brand message to the use of augmented reality.

Around the Web: Small Business Optimism – Action Towels – What’s an Ad Worth? – Dumbing Phones – Cheese of the Pharaohs – This Week in Printing History

Published August 17, 2018

The latest NFIB Small Business Optimism Index. Towels made of recycled bottles. Stopping “stalking ads.” Making phones just a little less smart. The world’s oldest cheese. Modern American prints from 1920-1948. All that and more in WhatTheyThink's weekly miscellany.

Consolidation Among Large Print Businesses: 2010–2016

Published August 17, 2018

In 2010, there were 2,124 establishments having 50 or more employees. By 2016, they had dropped to 1,851 (down -13%). So says our new Commercial Printing Establishments tracker, based on data from the Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns, which presents—in spreadsheet form—U.S. commercial printing establishments from 2010 to 2016, broken down by six different print business classifications and nine employee-size breakdowns.

The Success of Roll-Fed Inkjet and Importance of Finishing

Published August 15, 2018

Mark Hunt, Director of Strategic Alliances for Standard Finishing Systems, discusses the reasons behind the surge of popularity in roll-fed inkjet, and the importance of finishing. He also discusses what to expect at Hunkeler Innovations Days 2019.

The Ups and Downs in the Future of Print

Published August 13, 2018

Kip Cassino, Executive Vice President of Borrell Associates, discusses the cross-generational evolution of print: what's expected to grow and what's expected to decline in the coming years.

Printing Shipments Head Into the Dog Days of Summer

Published August 10, 2018

The inflation-adjusted value of printing shipments for June 2018 were down from $6.9 billion in May to $6.5 billion in June. On the plus side, it’s not appreciably below the $6.6 billion reported in June 2017.

Around the Web: A Book of Wood – A Felt Supermarket – Amish Uber – Robot Coworkers – Cookie War – This Week in Printing History

Published August 10, 2018

A book consisting entirely of pieces of wood. How to foil a car thief: drive a stick. The gig economy is surging...but only in Amish country. Survey says: workers are cool with robot coworkers. All that and more in WhatTheyThink's weekly miscellany.

Frank Looks Back at—and Ahead to—Printing News

Published August 10, 2018

Frank traces the history of Printing News from its beginning in 1928, and its founder and editor, Leo Joachim. Few magazines have made it to 90 years and Frank is glad that the new relationship between WhatTheyThink and Printing News will see a printed magazine continue. Especially for the printing industry.

Around the Web: PPI Executive Director Jules VanSant Steps Down – Ambigrams and Lipograms – Customized Cars – Mad Men No More – This Week in Printing History

Published August 3, 2018

After 12 years of leadership, Jules VanSant is stepping down as PPI Executive Director. Unusual typography. Automakers look to digitally printed auto parts. Don Draper—and even Darrin Stephens—are ad men of the past. The semaphore origin of the peace symbol. All that and more in WhatTheyThink's weekly miscellany.

WhatTheyThink Launches New Industry Establishment Data Series

Published August 3, 2018

Our new Commercial Printing Establishments tracker, based on data from the Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns, presents—in spreadsheet form—U.S. commercial printing establishments from 2010 to 2016, broken down by six different print business classifications and nine employee-size breakdowns.

June Printing Employment Down Y/Y

Published July 27, 2018

Overall, printing employment ticked up from May to June 2018, but on a year-over-year basis is down -1.8% from June 2017. Among the creative markets, PR is the place to be.

Around the Web: Amazon to Replace Libraries? – Book Fore-Edge Painting – The Truth About Recycled Clothing – Japan’s Looming “Y2K”-Like Problem – This Week in Printing History

Published July 27, 2018

Forbes columnist suggests replacing public libraries with Amazon stores, for some reason. The economic costs of comma misuse. Built-in sun protection for garments. All that and more in WhatTheyThink's weekly miscellany.

Kelley Holmes Talks About Printing News Joining WhatTheyThink

Published July 23, 2018

WhatTheyThink today announced that the Printing News Group is joining the organization to strengthen the industry’s most extensive independent news and analysis platform with both print and digital media covering commercial printing, wide format, labels, packaging, signage, specialty graphics, textiles and other industrial applications of print technology.

Around the Web: The Virtual Dressing Room – Cool Threads – Underwear Knife – Biobased Car – This Week in Printing History

Published July 20, 2018

Try on clothes virtually. As bad as flying is, it used to be worse. World’s first biobased, circular car has been successfully designed and built. Men’s boxer shorts turned into a knife. All that and more in WhatTheyThink's weekly miscellany.

May Printing Shipments Up from April, Closing in on 2017 Levels

Published July 13, 2018

Printing shipments for May 2018 came in at $6.77 billion, up +3.1% from April. However, on an inflation-adjusted basis, May 2018 came in below the $6.92 billion reported in May 2017, and is well below the recent high of $7.46 billion back in May 2016.

Around the Web: Pet Allergen-Free Textiles – Social Media Around the World – Pink Is the Oldest Color – 3D Printed Car – A Decade of Smartphone Apps – This Week in Printing History

Published July 13, 2018

A new technology can remove pet allergens from textiles (and that’s nothing to sneeze at). The retail transformation heats up. Scientists find the oldest (1.1 billion years) colors. ColorZenith uses Massivit technology to 3D print a classic car for Milan’s La Scala opera house. The Morgan Library & Museum in NYC is exhibiting a unique autograph collection. All that and more in WhatTheyThink's weekly miscellany.

From Traditional to Digital in Corrugated

Published July 11, 2018

Chuck Slingerland, Vice President of Sales and Digital Operations for Abbott-Action, takes us through the digital journey for a traditional corrugated converter.

Around the Web: New Water-Repellent Textiles – A 3D Printing Playbook – CliffsNotes for Food Labels – Missile Mail! – Public Libraries’ Streaming Services – This Week in Printing History

Published July 6, 2018

A new process reduces the environmental impact of water-repellent textiles. Harvard Business Review looks at new possibilities for 3D printing. New health benefits of coffee. The best streaming service may just be your public library. RIP Harlan Ellison. All that and more in WhatTheyThink's weekly miscellany.

Around the Web: Amazon’s On-Demand T-shirts – Cooking a 4,000-year-old recipe – “Cash is grief” – Mary Meeker Slide Roulette – This Week in Printing History

Published June 29, 2018

A "historical culinary event" featured a 4,000-year-old Mesopotamian recipe carved on a cuneiform tablet. Modern air conditioning was originally invented for a Brooklyn commercial print shop. Amazon beats out Google for product searches. The World Cup gives a lift to streaming services. All that and more in WhatTheyThink's weekly miscellany.

Hume Media Switches to Inkjet with Xerox Technology

Published June 28, 2018

John Hume, President of Hume Media Inc., talks about the history of his company and the upgrades he's made to his printing equipment over the years, first with the Xerox iGen and now Brenva HD production inkjet press.

Around the Web: No More Sweater Pilling – Body Scanning – That Micro Moment – Flexo Innovation – Mary Meeker Slide Roulette – Escalators!!! – This Week in Printing History

Published June 22, 2018

Australian researchers have found a way to minimize unsightly pilling and help garments look better longer. HyperCard, the first application for creating interactive documents, was inspired by an acid trip. Fad Fashion? Micro Moments? Learn the new textile lexicon. Rats break into an ATM and eat $17K in cash. A random slide from Mary Meeker’s “Internet Trends Report.” Amazon’s Alexa will soon be sharing your hotel room. A keyboard that can fit in your pocket. All that and more in WhatTheyThink's weekly miscellany.

Around the Web: Bats in the Biblioteca – Mary Meeker Slide Roulette – DIY T Shirt Printing – “Recycled” Ancient Manuscripts – Bloomsday – This Week in Printing History

Published June 15, 2018

A library in Portugal uses a colony of bats to help preserve old books and documents. The UK is confounded by the name change from “Salad Cream” to “Sandwich Cream.” The new heroes of our age: Country Time Lemonade and Domino’s Pizza? A random slide from Mary Meeker’s “Internet Trends Report.” Uncovering lost “data” from ancient manuscripts. What happened this week in printing and publishing history. All that and more in WhatTheyThink's weekly miscellany.

Trends in High-Performance Apparel

Published June 14, 2018

Mark Sunderland, Textile Engineer and Strategist at Thomas Jefferson University, discusses high-performance apparel and products, including new and emerging trends in moisture management and "wearables."

In-Plants and Outsourcing: The Perennial Problem

Published June 13, 2018

At this year's IPMA Conference, Howie Fenton addresses one of the perennial challenges that in-plant printing departments face: their parent company outsourcing print and other related work. He offers some suggestions for bringing that work back in-house.

IPMA 2018 Conference Update: In-Plant Printing Trends and Challenges

Published June 12, 2018

Mike Loyd, Executive Director of the In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association (IPMA), talks about the major trends affecting in-plant printing departments, the challenges faced by in-plant operations managers, and the value of the annual IPMA Conference.

Around the Web: GDPR as Sleep Therapy – Vintage NSA Workplace Posters – “Smart Hemp” – New iOS AR Features – Mary Meeker Slide Roulette – Mermaids for Hire – This Week in Printing History

Published June 8, 2018

Government Attic discovered a load of NSA workplace posters from the 50s, 60s, and 70s—you can even get them on a T shirt. A 3D printer outputs custom-designed pancakes. Don’t call it “dope”: hemp used for intelligent textiles. A random slide from Mary Meeker’s “Internet Trends Report.” What happened this week in printing and publishing history. All that and more in WhatTheyThink's weekly miscellany.

New EFI Reggiani Pigment Textile Ink Eliminates Need for Post-Treatment

Published June 8, 2018

Giorgio Sala of EFI Reggiani talks about the company's new pigment-based ink for the FLEXY textile printer. The new ink contains a binder that eliminates the need for post-treatment, such as washing or steaming of the fabric, after printing.

Famous Last Words

Published June 8, 2018

There are about 8,000 spoken languages left on this planet and they are disappearing at one language every two weeks. Some have fewer than 1,000 speakers left. Frank opines in what we think is English.

Mimaki Unleashes New Tiger Textile Printing System

Published June 7, 2018

Bert Benckhuysen, Senior Product Manager, EMEA, for Mimaki, introduces the new Tiger textile printing system, capable of both direct-to-fabric and transfer-based dye sublimation. Mimaki has also incorporated Tiger into its own microfactory concept for fast fashion and other textile-based applications.

Scott Schinlever Continues Analog-to-Digital Transformation at Gerber Technology

Published June 7, 2018

Scott Schinlever, President of Automation Services for Gerber Technology, discusses the similarities and differences between digital and analog, as well as his move from EFI to Gerber.

Durst's Textile Printing Strategy

Published June 6, 2018

Fabio Gromo, Global Sales Manager of Textile Printing for durst, describes the durst line of textile printers and capabilities as well as the company's strategies with respect to the digital textile printing industry.

Factors Driving the Growth of Industrial Printing

Published June 6, 2018

Marcus Timson, Co-Founder of the InPrint Industrial Inkjet Conference, discusses the reasons for the growing popularity of industrial printing, including the plateauing of traditional print markets, the maturity of digital inkjet and its advantages in industrial applications, and changing consumer behaviors.

SAi Brings AR Capabilities to Signmaking

Published June 4, 2018

Annette Plummer, Director of Marketing for SAi, a developer of software for the signmaking industry, discusses the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in signmaking.

RadLaunch Helps Start-Ups Make Connections

Published June 4, 2018

Nir Waiskopf, Ph.D., of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, attended the RadTech UV+EB 2018 Conference as part of RadLaunch, an "idea accelerator" for start-ups, students, and innovators. Dr. Waiskopf chose the RadTech conference for its educational and networking opportunities, seeking potential collaborators and partners for some of the projects he is helping develop.

Around the Web: E License Plates – Direct-to-Egg Printing – Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends Report – 36 Days of Type – This Week in Printing History

Published June 1, 2018

California experiments with E Ink-based license plates. Mary Meeker’s hotly anticipated annual Internet trends presentation has arrived. The first “cyberattack” took place nearly 200 years ago. A beautiful and brilliant collection of crowdsourced letter and number designs. ANA Acquires DMA. What happened this week in printing and publishing history. All that and more in WhatTheyThink's weekly miscellany.

Roland Is Looking for Heroes

Published June 1, 2018

At FESPA Berlin, Gillian Montanaro, Head of Marketing for EMEA Roland, talks about the launch of the Roland Hero Campaign, in which Roland collects and presents their customers' inspiring stories. (For more information, visit www.rolandhero.com.)

Frank Thinks Around the Outside of the Box

Published June 1, 2018

A visitor to the Museum of Printing donated an old, handheld rotary letterpress device for marking boxes and cartons. Frank dates it back to the early 20th century, and contrasts it with a modern, handheld digital inkjet box-marking printer.

Dacar Digital Printing Purchases 100th EFI Roll-to-Roll Device

Published May 31, 2018

At FESPA 2018, EFI sold its 100th roll-to-roll device to Belgium's Dacar Digital Printing. Dacar's Dennis van der Lingen talks about his wide-format printing company that serves the Benelux region, talks about the kind of print work the company does, and the opportunities that are enabled by EFI products.

Lectra Launches Cutting 4.0, A New Platform for Textile Cutting

Published May 31, 2018

Frederic Gaillard, VP of Product Marketing for Lectra, talks to Cary Sherburne about Cutting 4.0, Lectra's new smart cutter for textile cutting that interfaces with Lectra Digital Cutting, a new cloud-based cutting platform. The machine receives orders and executes them, and sends back data so the entire process can be controlled in real time. The platform is designed to address the new challenges the company sees in the market, such as small runs and customization. The new platform also includes a fabric library.

Lighting and Color in Retail Spaces

Published May 30, 2018

Ann Laidlaw, Consultant for ACL Color Consulting LLC, talks to Cary Sherburne about how ambient lighting impacts our perception of color—an important consideration in retail environments where the lighting under which a consumer views a garment may be different from that under which the garment was manufactured. Compounding the problem is the latest trend toward LED lighting (of which there are many different kinds) in retail stores, which can impact how a particular colored garment is perceived.

When Launching a Business or a Product, Don’t Skimp on Marketing

Published May 30, 2018

Mark Abramson, President of Printform Corporation, talks about his experiences in starting a business that produces specialty-printed products, as well as his efforts in helping other entrepreneurs launch wide-format, industrial, and other specialty products. He shares some pieces of advice for success, a key one being to invest at least as much in marketing as in any other part of the business.

Streamlining and Automating On-Demand Textile Production

Published May 29, 2018

Kirby Best, President and CEO of Purchase Activated Apparel Technologies (PAAT), talks about one of the biggest challenges he found in the analog-to-digital transformation of textile printing: the difficulty of feeding information to the production equipment. To realize all the advantage of on-demand production, all the systems within the operation need to be in sync and "talking" to each other. He talks to Cary Sherburne about how PAAT overcame that challenge.

EFI's Inkjet Philosophy

Published May 29, 2018

Josh Samuel, Director of Ink Development at EFI, talks to David Zwang about EFI's inkjet philosophy: helping companies and even entire industries make a seamless transformation from analog to digital. EFI offers the machines, the inks, and the software as a larger system to help customers make that transformation.

Inside FESPA 2018's Print Make Wear "Fast Fashion" Microfactory

Published May 25, 2018

Debbie McKeegan, Textile Ambassador for FESPA 2018, walks us through the Print Make Wear microfactory and demonstrates the process of textile printing from beginning to end.

Around the Web: Investing in the Swamp – The Quest for Red Pigment – Scented Postage – The Retail Apocalypse Deferred – Blockchain and Digital Signage – Towel Day

Published May 25, 2018

Investing in companies by how much they spend on lobbying. Searching for a safe, bright red pigment. Making your mail smell like popsicles. Exaggerating the death of retail. All that and more in WhatTheyThink's weekly miscellany.

Product and Technology Changes Afoot at Xeikon

Published May 24, 2018

At the recent Xeikon Café, Filip Weymans, Vice President of Marketing for Xeikon, discusses some recent technology and product changes that customers can look forward to, from the addition of dry toner and UV inkjet to a complete digital technology upgrade.

SEAMS: The Voice of the Sewn Products Industry

Published May 24, 2018

At this week's TechTextil, Will Duncan, Executive Director of SEAMS, talks about SEAMS which, for 50 years, has been the "voice" of the U.S. sewn products industry. Members include brands and retailers, as well as the textile supply sector. "Made in America" is the association's main initiative.

New 3D Hologram Solution for Label and Packaging Security

Published May 23, 2018

Matt Hirsch Ph.D., Co-Founder and CTO of Lumii, talks to David Zwang about a new solution for label and packaging security that allows 2D printers and presses generate holographic 3D effects. Using proprietary algorithms and Terascale computing, the Lumii Light Field Engine calculates the exact patterns for a duplex print from a single image to create a visual 3D object from a 2D pattern.

Techtextil 2018: New Technologies—and Challenges—for Textile Printing

Published May 23, 2018

Brian Francois, Executive Vice President of AATCC, discusses the analog-to-digital transformation in textile printing, and identifies such emerging challenges as wearable technology and developing and implementing color standards for LED lighting.

From Concept to Creation—Dover Digital Printing’s Microfactory Streamlines Digital Textile Production

Published May 22, 2018

Sebastien Hanssens, Vice President of Marketing and Communication for Dover Digital Printing, talks about the “microfactory” concept of on-demand digital garment printing, which Dover Digital Printing was demonstrating at FESPA 2018. “The Sports Factory” showcased customized athletic jersey printing from online ordering to printing and sewing.

EFI's New H Series Set to Launch This Summer

Published May 21, 2018

Ken Hanulec, Vice President of Marketing, Inkjet Solutions for EFI, talks about the company's new H Series at FESPA 2018 in Berlin. This new hybrid printer, targeted at the mid-range market, is capable of printing on both rigid and flexible substrates.

Wade Neff Offers an Inkjet Reality Check

Published May 21, 2018

At the InPrint Industrial Inkjet Conference, Wade Neff, Strategic Business Unity Manager for Strategic Factory, discusses how inkjet printing is not the solution for every application, and that print service providers need to understand, and be able to communicate to customers, both the advantages and limitations of inkjet technology.

HP PageWide Technology Changes the Food Packaging Industry

Published May 18, 2018

This week at FESPA 2018, HP launched two new PageWide presses for ultra-high-volume digital corrugated printing. David Murphy, Worldwide Director of Marketing & Business Development–HP PageWide Industrial Division, describes the Digital Corrugated Experience at FESPA 2018. and how HP's PageWide technology has versatility and adaptability for uses in consumer, electronics, and food and beverage packaging.

Around the Web: Digital ad Revenue - Digitally Colored Embroidery - Media Consumption Habits

Published May 18, 2018

Digital ad revenue, digitally colored embroidery, and curbing your media consumption. All that and more this week in WhatTheyThink's weekly miscellany.

Massivit Launches New Entry-Level 3DPrinter

Published May 17, 2018

Kevin M. Sykes, North American President of Massivit 3D, talks about the new Massivit 1500 "Exploration" 3D printer, which allows users to pursue 3D printing at a lower price point than the company's flagship product. Sykes also discusses the opportunities to be had in 3D printing.

UV LED Looks to the Future

Published May 15, 2018

Pamela Lee, Senior Product Manager for Excelitas Technologies, discusses UV LED technology vs. traditional UV curing in terms of performance, cost, and environmental benefits in a variety of commercial and industrial applications.

Digital Printing Hits a Wall. And the Floor. And Your Sofa.

Published May 14, 2018

Rachel Nunziata, Product Development Manager for 4Walls, talks about the design process for digital décor. 4Walls designs and prints wallcoverings and a wide variety of other materials, handling the process all the way from design through production.

Around the Web - Recommended Reading from the WhatTheyThink Team

Published May 11, 2018

Blockchain, Buffett, and blurring boundaries. Silk and sneakers. One space or two? WhatTheyThink’s new regular Friday feature, Around the Web, presents a miscellany of random news items that caught the attention of our contributors this week. Read on for more.

From Craft Beer to Soda, Printers Need a "Can"-Do Mentality

Published May 9, 2018

At the InPrint Industrial Printing Show in Chicago, Jim Lambert, VP of Digital Sales for INX International, talks about digital direct-to-can printing, a technology that gives beverage makers flexibility in both design and volume, and the ability to adapt to changing consumer trends and tastes.

IT Strategies' Mark Hanley Offers Insight on Industrial Printing

Published May 7, 2018

Mark Hanley, President of IT Strategies, Inc., discusses industrial printing and how print providers can navigate the variety of "industrial" markets, from packaging to direct-to-shape, and determine areas of emerging growth.

Education Partnerships at Printing Industry Midwest Helps Students Explore Jobs in Print

Published April 30, 2018

Nick Gawreluk talks to Kris Davis of Printing Industry Midwest (PIMW) about its education programs to help students explore job opportunities in print. For the past the 10 years, PIMW has provided financial support to PIMW members to help bring summer interns into printing companies.

Graphic Design, Marketing, and Print Come Together on Dscoop.com

Published April 25, 2018

Vicki Strull, graphic designer and brand consultant, helps brands increase consumer engagement, build brand loyalty, and drive purchase intent. Strull addresses the gap among design, print, and the marketing community by educating these three stakeholders in the understanding of each industry.

Bringing the Global Printing Community Together on Dscoop.com

Published April 24, 2018

Julian Marsh is Director of Commercial Printing at District Photo, an online digital print business that produces a large range of photo products. Julian is the Global Chairman of Dscoop, and helped launch the new Dscoop.com platform to facilitate year-round collaboration and networking within the Dscoop community.

Tharstern's Approach to MIS and Business Intelligence

Published April 23, 2018

Matt Miloszewski, Business Development Manager at Tharstern, talks about Tharstern's approach to MIS and managing operational data within print operations. Tharstern has over 700 installations globally.

Digipix Invests in HP Indigo To Support Growing Print Business

Published April 4, 2018

Digipix, a photo products company based in Sao-Paulo, Brazil recently installed the HP Indigo 12000 HD Digital Press to support its growing photo products business. Marco Perlman, Digipix founder and CEO, spoke with WhatTheyThink about his business and its recent investment in the HP Indigo 12000 HD Digital Press.

Dscoop from Annual Event to Networking Platform

Published April 3, 2018

WhatTheyThink spoke to Keith Wilmot, CEO of DSCOOP at the DSCOOP 18 conference. Under Wilmot's leadership the organization has embarked on transiting DSCOOP from a once per a year conference to a networking platform at dscoop.com

USPS Challenge: “Hidden Message” Special Effects Screen Printing with Flash-Activated Photochromatic Ink

Published March 22, 2018

In the hunt for new print techniques and technologies for mail, Trish leads us to H&H Graphics in Chicago for a photochromatic ink technology that is designed to work in conjunction with the camera on your smartphone

Julie Shaffer Discusses the Importance of Education at the Association for Print Technologies

Published March 2, 2018

Julie Shaffer, Associate VP of Program and Community Development at the Association for Print Technologies, talks to Gina Testa about why she decided to join the team at the new association and her passion for education and bringing new people into the printing industry.

APTech’s Kelly Kilga Shares Expectations and Education Opportunities the Print 18 Event

Published March 2, 2018

Kelly Kilga, VP Meetings & Events at the Association for Print Technologies (formerly NPES) lays the foundation for expectations and education at APTech’s signature annual event, PRINT®, coming September 30 - October 2, 2018 to Chicago’s McCormick Place.

Print Business Outlook Survey: Areas of interest in new print-related applications

Published February 28, 2018

WhatTheyThink surveyed printing business owners and executives: "What are your areas of interest in new print-related applications."

Print Business Outlook Survey: Which of the following investment items have you budgeted for and plan to acquire in the next 12 months?

Published February 20, 2018

WhatTheyThink surveyed printing business owners and executives: "Which of the following investment items have you budgeted for and plan to acquire in the next 12 months?"

Print Business Outlook Survey: In the next 12 months, which of the following will be your biggest business opportunities?

Published February 15, 2018

WhatTheyThink surveyed printing business owners and executives: "In the next 12 months, which of the following will be your biggest business opportunities?"

Mark Hischar talks about the APTech Rebranding Initiative and Print 18

Published February 15, 2018

Mark Hischar, President and CEO of KBA North America and Chairman of the Association for Print Technologies talks about the Association’s rebranding initiative and the upcoming Print 18 event.

Print Business Outlook Survey: In the next 12 months, which of the following will be your biggest business challenges?

Published February 5, 2018

WhatTheyThink surveyed printing business owners and executives: "In the next 12 months, which of the following will be your biggest business challenges?"

Industry Press and Analysts React to Fujifilm Xerox Deal

Published February 1, 2018

Xerox and Fujifilm announced a deal to combine Xerox and the Fuji Xerox joint venture into a single company called Fuji Xerox. Industry Analysts share their reaction to the deal.

EFI's Frank Mallozzi on Textile Portfolio and Strategy

Published January 29, 2018

EFI is going into its third year with the Reggiani portfolio of fabric printing equipment. EFI has recently brought new products to its textile portfolio to ease the transition into digital production including the EFI Reggiani VOGUE and EFI Reggiani ReNOIR FLEXY.

PIA's Color Conference Is the Go-to to Increase Color Knowledge

Published January 23, 2018

PIA’s Color Conference grew attendance by about 30% compared to 2017, with 25% of attendees representing the brand/design community. For anyone with a color-critical role, this is an excellent venue to increase color knowledge, network with peers, and have in-depth in-person conversations with conference sponsors about solutions that can assist with specific challenges.

You Might Be Ready for the Cloud If...(Part 4)

Published January 19, 2018

Are you ready for a cloud migration? Here is the fourth and final post in a four-part series on "cloud readiness" criteria put together by experts.

You Might Be Ready for the Cloud If . . . (Part 3)

Published January 12, 2018

Are you ready for a cloud migration? Here is the third in a four-part series of posts on criteria put together by experts.

Got Inkjet? Learn How to Evaluate, Optimize, and Grow It with Inkjet Insight

Published December 14, 2017

Elizabeth Gooding, President of Inkjet Insight, talks about the new venture and the ways it can help inform those serious about inkjet about both devices, paper, software, and other equipment. The site brings a lot of information together in an easy to use way and Elizabeth highlights them.

The Advantages of Energy Curing Technologies for Package Printing

Published December 12, 2017

David Biro, Director of Paste Screen and Industrial Inks for Sun Chemical discusses the movement toward energy curing and the advantages associated with this type of curing for packaging applications. He also talks about some of the challenges associated with this kind of curing.

How Digital Technologies are Impacting Package Printing with New Embellishment Tools

Published December 11, 2017

Jeff Peterson, President of FSEA, gives an overview of the association and how it serves members through their Odyssey show, magazine, and webinar events. He also discusses how new digital technologies like MGI and Scodix take specialty effects to the next level as well as a new study done in conjunction with Clemson University that showcases how end users tend to see embellished print first over standard package printing.

How Investing in Workflow Can Help Your Bottomline

Published December 7, 2017

Pat McGrew, Director of Production Workflow Service at Keypoint Intelligence - InfoTrends, talks about how workflow is often underfunded in a printing operation and how proper investment and strategy can increase profits.

The Cloud Lets Printers Go Computer Agnostic

Published December 5, 2017

When we think about the cloud, we think about benefits such as anytime, anywhere access, cost savings from the elimination of servers, and automatic updates. But there is one benefit that many people don’t think about—computer agnosticism.

SAi Drives Sign Making Demand Online using sign.com

Published December 4, 2017

Dean Durhak, Product Manager at SAi talks about their FlexiSign Software and also sign.com, a consumer facing application that drives sign making demand online and routes jobs directly to the nearest production facility.

Overview of the USPS Informed Delivery Program

Published November 30, 2017

Matt Swain, Group Director at Keypoint Intelligence - InfoTrends talks about the benefits for consumers and marketers of the USPS Informed Delivery program.

Collaboration: The Low-Hanging Fruit of Cloud Migration

Published November 29, 2017

Whether it’s for administrative, production, or marketing initiatives, the cloud brings significant benefits to businesses of all sizes. One of those benefits, and one that is the easiest to implement, is collaboration. Let’s take a closer look at this low-hanging fruit from the cloud.

How Consumer Demand Drives Change in Ink Technologies for Packaging Print

Published November 29, 2017

Matt Ellison, Senior Ink Chemist at Dart, talks about the importance of the ability to recycle and low migration ink given their focus on disposable packaging products. He also discusses the changing nature of inks in the print for packaging industry.

Developing the Next Generation of Packaging

Published November 27, 2017

Todd Fayne Principal Engineer at PepsiCo talks about major trends affecting consumer packaged goods and the technical considerations required for next generation packaging that includes interactivity, functional advancements, and other consumer focused features.

Inkjet Head Technology Innovation at Konica Minolta Opens Up New Applications

Published November 22, 2017

Gavin Jordan-Smith Vice President, Industrial Print and Graphic Communications at Konica Minolta provides an update on Konica Minolta lastest advancements in inkjet head technology and new applications these advancements are enabling in industrial and commercial printing.

Graphic Arts Alliance Helped Modern Litho Save Money

Published November 21, 2017

Darrell Moore, President at Modern Litho, talks about his printing business and how he's saving money through the Graphic Arts Alliance purchasing cooperative.

PrintIQ's Approach to MIS and Workflow

Published November 16, 2017

Mick Rowan (Director) and Adrian Fleming (Sales Director) at PrintIQ share their vision and approach to a cloud based management workflow system that goes beyond traditional MIS.

Benefits of Belonging to a Purchasing Cooperative

Published November 15, 2017

John Braceland of Graphic Arts Alliance talks about the member-run purchasing cooperative and how it helps printing companies increase buying power and save money on equipment and supplies.

Ricoh Introduces Ricoh Pro T7210 at SGIA

Published November 13, 2017

Dan Johansen, Marketing Manager at Ricoh, talks about their new Ricoh Pro T7210 flatbed device shown at SGIA. With new ink development, this device is able to produce custom graphics with a large diversity of substrates.

Canon Opens Up New Markets with Wide Format Offerings

Published November 9, 2017

Randy Paar, Marketing Manager for Large Format at Canon Solutions America, talks about flatbed printers and the ability to print on different substrates and opening up the possibilities to enter the packaging market as well. He also discusses their High Flow Vacuum configuration which allows printers to enter these new markets.

MGX Copy Approach to Production, Software Development, and Recruiting Tech Workers

Published November 8, 2017

Lawrence Chou at San Diego-based MGX Copy LLC talks about the company's recent expansion into a East Coast facility, their approach to in-house print software development, and attracting tech workers to the printing industry.

Defining Cloud Production for Printers

Published November 7, 2017

Cloud production doesn’t have to be complicated. A simplified definition, along with three ways to use the cloud for business, change the conversation from “why should I?” to “what’s the big deal?”

Articles by WhatTheyThink